Bouquet of Hearts
by Acariciandote
Summary: Kyla has always been nothing but Quil's younger sister. But as her friends & brother are thrown into a dangerous game of survival, she resolves to unravel the mystery surrounding her home & learns her heart could use more tending than her backyard garden
1. JONQUIL

_Yes, I have done the unthinkable...This_ is_ my very first fanfic. I hope it doesn't show too much, but I know very well there's always room for_ _improvement. "Bouquet_ _of Flowers" begins pre-Eclipse, somewhere in the epilogue of New Moon, and extends into Eclipse itself. Which is mostly why I'm hoping I can try to get this done in the next month. Once August seven arrives, this will most likely turn into an AU fic._

_Thanks to_ _the Relish Dog Pound and Jacob Black threads_ _at Twilight Lexicon for inspiring me, even if you guys don't know what you inspired._

_Each chapter will be titled with the name of a flower. Here, Jonquil represent the desire for a return of affection. Red Tulips symbolize declaration of love, yellow tulips link to hopeless love. Thornless roses stand for early attachment. Apples, of course, embody temptation._

**

* * *

**

**Chapter One --- _JONQUIL_**

It was excruciatingly easy for me to pretend like I didn't care what other people thought about me, or rather didn't think about me. At a tender and early age, I was pegged with the simple nickname of "Quil's little sister," which, more or less, was true. I was fifteen and, much to my chagrin, his only sister. Still, I seriously doubted anyone knew me for who I was.

"Kyla Ateara!"

Okay, give or take a person.

"Embry," I sighed, wiping my forehead with the back of my glove. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Embry peeked out of the shadows and walked briskly toward me with his hands in his pockets and a seemingly never-ending grin on his face. His hair was much, _much_ shorter than when I first met him a couple of years back. Today, it was untidy and, I'd be willing to bet, uncombed.

"Jeez, ever heard of a brush?" I teased, crossing my arms.

"Jeez, ever heard of soap?" he mocked, poking at a brush of dirt lingering on my cheek.

"You're one to talk." I slapped his hand away from my face and gestured toward his brown-stained white muscle tee. "Trip in the forest much?"

He shrugged. "A little soil never hurt anyone."

I rolled my eyes and turned back to my work. The red and yellow tulips were blooming nicely, the dew from yesterday's rain resting lightly on the petals. My eyes wandered to the thornless roses that wrapped around the apple tree. They were the first flowers I planted in my garden, and were my priceless treasures. Recently, even more so…

Embry's voice broke in through my train of thought.

"So…how is old Quil anyway?"

I eyed him suspiciously. "Why ask me?"

"Well, I don't know. Maybe it's because you, umm, _live_ with the guy?"

"Why should I play messenger?" I picked up the watering pail and walked towards the door. "He's upstairs in his room, probably still sleeping like the lazy slacker he is. Wake him up and knock yourself out."

When I didn't hear a witty reply, I turned back around. Embry was looking at the ground, kicking the wet grass with his foot. I would have told him to quit taking his emotions out on the plants, but his overcast face prompted me to take a second thought. When he noticed I was staring at him, he looked up and started smiling again.

"No, I'll leave Quil to his beauty sleep. You knows he needs it anyway." He swung around and ran to the gate. "Catch you later, Kyla."

"Later," I called out, but to nothing but the creaking gate and the morning mist.

Trying to make as little noise as possible, I walked out of the backyard and into the house. The smell of my freshly baked muffins wafted throughout the house, and I could hear my brother shuffling around in his room. I expected the sound of his feet bounding down the stairs in about twenty seconds.

"Hey," he mumbled, jumping the five bottom steps.

"Look who decided to get up this morning," I said, putting my gloves in the drawer.

He grimaced. "Don't give me that. It's not my fault you want to be a freak who wakes up at six in the morning to water her plants that are going to die anyway."

I chucked a muffin at his head. Direct hit. It bounced off, and he managed to grab it just before it collided with the floor.

"Don't insult my babies," I threatened, then walked to the stairs. "I'm going to take a shower."

He murmured something that sounded like, "Good, because you need it," so I grabbed a pillow of the couch as I walked by and tossed it at his face. Another direct hit. I should try out for the military.

"Wait," he called. "Was someone here just now? I thought I heard you talking in the backyard."

I paused on the first step and bit my lower lip, debating whether honesty was the best policy. He leaned against the counter, chewing on the muffin that almost took his eye out.

"No…nobody was here." Before he could ask me anything else, I shot up the stairs and slammed the door to my room. Leaning against it, I sank to the floor and lifted my eyes to the picture frame lying on my desk. Without opening the blinds to let the warm sunlight in, I walked over and lifted the frame up, tracing the edges of the people. Even in the dark, I could visualize the playful poses everyone was striking, including myself. There were party garlands and balloons adorning everything, even us.

Embry, his hair still long and wild then, infested with confetti. Quil, wearing his sunglasses and an awkward yet smug smirk. Me, exaggerating my ecstasy as I held a fork in my mouth with one hand and plate of cake with the other. I looked happy, and smiled in remembrance.

My eyes drifted to the deep russet arm linked around my neck. It belonged to the birthday boy, and I could feel his contagious cheerfulness emanating from the frame. His black hair, longer than even Embry's, was pulled into a ponytail. The deep brown of his eyes glowed intensely, although they were squinted with laughter. His mouth was pulled upwards in one of the friendliest and playful grins I had ever seen, and it nearly touching the corner of his eyes

"Jacob Black…" I muttered, sitting down in my chair and resting my head in one hand that was propped up on the desk.

There was only one word that could sum up what I thought about Jacob Black…

"Wimp."

* * *

_My, my...what could dear Jake have done to render such an impression on Kyla?  
No, seriously. I don't even have a plotline laid out for this past chapter two. Ideas come and go as they please o0;_

_Reviews and tips are greatly appreciated, so long as they don't consist of, "OMG U insert swear word SUCK AT THIS!1!!1!!!"  
__  
Thank you for reading!_


	2. PETUNIA

_First off, thank you to those who reviewed! I can't tell you how loud my heart beat whenever I opened my email to find one from here, but all of you were very encouraging. Thanks again._

_Now, for more flower language. Petunias are best known to stand for resentment and anger. However, I also managed to find a site that suggested they also symbolize the phrase, "Your presence soothes me." An oxymoron, I know, but it was so intriguing I couldn't resist. Anyway, the only other flower mentioned in this chapter is the orange lily, which represents hatred. I actually had fun with that one, so maybe it'll make another appearance later on._**  
**

* * *

**Chapter Two --- **_**PETUNIA**_

"Quil, I'm going out," I said while grabbing my house key and stuffing it in my bag.

His voice sounded out from behind the open refrigerator door. "Where to?"

"The beach."

"Just be back in time for dinner. Mom and Dad said they'd be gone the whole day, and I'm eating out for lunch."

I rolled my eyes and waved apathetically at the air. "I'll be back big brother. Don't have a cow if I'm five minutes late."

His eyes narrowed. "Kyles, I'm serious. You've been watching TV. All those people…" He let his thoughts wander then snapped back with a protective expression. "Just be on your guard, alright?"

Well. I had to admit, that's the most brotherly love I had ever heard come out of Quil's mouth. Really, it was heartwarming. So I sent him a faint, encouraging smile as I walked out the screen door and shut it behind me.

As I hiked down the road, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The skies were clear and the sun was out, beating down hard. I smiled a silent prayer of thanks for my deep blue jean and earth brown spaghetti-strapped shirt.

Unexpectedly, I spied a glimmer of orange out of the corner of my eye. Moving closer, there was a tiny field of orange flowers. I picked one up and stroked the petals lightly, the color dancing like wildfire in the soft afternoon sun.

"Lilies." I breathed in the scent and gently tucked it behind my ear.

The moment was so peaceful. It was hard to believe neighboring towns were running amuck with murderers and local friendships were falling apart at the seams.

It wasn't long before I could hear the waves crash against the shore, smell the thick sea wind, and taste the salt the air carried across the path for miles.

How _he_ escaped all five of my senses, the world may never know.

He was sitting on the roots of my favorite driftwood tree, staring out into the waters of the sea, with eyes that seemed just as deep. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and his hair was dripping dark, wet blotches onto the sand below his bare feet. I saw his rough, russet fingers tracing circles on the bark of the tree, not scraping in frustration but almost caressing in yearning.

I hesitated for a moment, unable to register the right reaction. Should I turn around the exact same way I came? Should I walk silently by, hoping he wouldn't acknowledge my presence? Should I be a civilized young woman and say hello? Or should I storm up, smack him, and tell it to him straight?

The first option reminds me too much of my favorite adjective for him, the one I had muttered as I looked down into the framed picture that lay on my desk. The third was clearly impossible; five seconds into that hello and I'd realize I should have saved myself the five seconds and skipped to option four, which wasn't exactly the best pick of the bunch considering there were too many witnesses. Farther down the beach I could make out familiar faces from all around the rez.

Just as I was about to put option two into action, he blinked and swiftly turned his head in my direction.

"Kyla?"

_No, idiot, Britney Spears._

"Jacob." I forced a surprised smile, trying not to let the phoniness show too much. He smiled back warmly, so warmly it caught me off guard, but I simply nodded and quickly tried to go by without eye contact.

_Boy, if you value those pretty white teeth, you'll let my pass without another w―_

"It's been a while."

I grimaced. On the inside, at least. _Ladies and gentlemen, I am not responsible for any loss of blood and impending carnage._

He must not have noticed my uncomfortable stance, my fists stiffly glued to my sides, since he continued his pathetic attempt at small talk.

"Last time I saw you was my sixteenth birthday, right?"

I nodded again and prayed he wouldn't mistake the redness in my cheeks for something other than hatred.

He seemed to be running out of things to say, and I got the feeling he was avoiding a certain subject that started with a "Q" and ended with an "ill."

"So…" he trailed off, turning his attention back to the waves. "It was…nice seeing you again."

I crossed my arms and prepared to continue walking when, I swear, out of _nowhere_, my temper got the better of me.

"What's wrong with you?" I whipped around and stood right in front of him, our eyes at the same height despite the fact that he was still sitting down.

He leaned away from my air of hostility and looked genuinely confused, taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_, you left my brother alone. Yes, he has other friends, friends who definitely wouldn't _abandon_ him, but you were one of his closest. God knows why, but he looked up to you! Then you up and join Sam Uley's little posse of 'protectors,' completely leaving Quil alone to cough in your trail of sick dust. You were the one who was always talking big about how lame Sam was. Now look at you." I glared and scanned him from the feet up. "You're nothing but his pawn now."

Apparently, his silence during this little rant was not a sign he was going to take this more calmly than I had.

"First of all, don't yell in my face. I'm tall, not deaf." He pushed himself up as if to prove that point, and I stumbled back in the sand. I probably would have fallen had he not reached out and took my arm, his skin blazing against mine. "Second, I'm sorry about what happened to Quil, but can I remind you that I'm not the only one that left."

I sneered. "At least Embry has the decency to stop by and even attempt a hello. I can see that his friendship actually amounts to something."

It was then that something abruptly caught his attention. He turned his face in the direction of the road where I'd come from, his expression differently dark from the supposed irritation he was feeling towards me. Murderous, even.

"Look," he sighed, but tightened the grip around my arm. "I don't have time for this. Just…" He flicked his head around again and his expression became inpatient. "Just tell Quil I said hi, and I _am_ sorry, but he'll understand everything soon."

Before I could even scream, grab, trip, or punch his lights out, Jacob let me go and was already more than twenty feet away, racing into the quiet, secretive shade of the trees.

I rubbed my fingers across my temple and heaved a sigh of my own. Obviously, that hadn't gone well. I needed to cool down. The soft patch of orange suddenly sprouted in my mind and looked temptingly comforting. I touched the area behind my ear only to find the lily had fallen silently between the roots of the tree.

It wouldn't hurt to go back and take some more of the flowers to add to the backyard, so I resolved on walking back on the road that led to home. I stopped when I saw the glint of orange and knelt in the grass.

The colors reminded me of the bonfire Quil and I had made once. We were young, reckless, and bored out of our minds, so I grabbed some matches out of the kitchen cabinet and suggested we play our favorite game, "Wolves versus the Cold Ones." However, just as I leapt out at him like a wolf hunting its prey, he dodged just in time. It was funny watching him tumble to the side. Funny until felt the hot flames licking the air just centimeters away from my face. As I braced myself and prepared for the worst, Quil grabbed me and we both fell back, gasping for air. I started wailing like the baby I literally was, so our parents ran out to see what the commotion was about. Mom screamed when she saw the fire, and Dad frantically put it out. They both scolded us with a couple of spanks that smarted for well over a week, but we ended up falling side by side in the tall grass, laughing like ignorant fools.

_Better days_, I thought.

This, however, was not the time for memory lane.

While I'd been staring at the patch, lost in thought, I heard a low growl. Then I saw a foot step onto the lilies. I was about to look up when I sniffed the air suspiciously and wrinkled my nose. Whoever was standing in front of me was wearing some sort of perfume that was incredibly and enticingly sweet, but something was off. I smelt a rush of rust and salt.

A smell that reminded me all too well of blood.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! I couldn't get to sleep last night, so I started to write my heart out well into midnight. It's the only time of the day I can get anything I actually want to do done._

_So, I'm stuck between two names for next chapter's title: "Nightshade" or "Meadow Saffron." Both beautiful flowers. Pick one, any one, and I'll keep tally of the votes. If no ones votes...I guess I'm on my own :'D_


	3. NIGHTSHADE

_What do you do when it's your sister's ninth birthday and you're stuck playing lifeguard by the side of the pool for heaven-knows-how-many-hours? Why, write, of course! _

_Thanks to everyone who voted for the chapter title. Nightshade is of the genus Solanum, and the best known member is Atropa Belladona, more commonly known as "deadly nightshade." In the language of flowers, I've found it to mean "truth," exactly of which Kyla gets a whopping dose. _

* * *

**Chapter Three ---**_**NIGHTSHADE**_

"Oh my…god."

His murky brown hair was disheveled and looked as though he had been through a tornado. Twice. The clothes he was wearing, if you could even call them clothes, were viciously ripped and stained with various shades of colors. Of course, nothing stood out as much as the dark red spots that covered most of his body. It smeared his chin and neck as well. His eyes were equally shocking…with a much brighter and vibrant red surrounding his pupils.

I couldn't process anything further than what was before me. It seemed as though every limb had been injected with ten shots of morphine, making it impossible to move. I waited with my eyes wide open and my mouth gaping like an utter fool. The man ― god, it was human, right? ― stood steady, breathing loudly and staring me down with his penetratingly cold eyes.

We stood there for what seemed an eternity until I chose to be the smart little cookie and run home. I must not have moved more than a millimeter when his growls turn into deafening snarls. I froze for a second, and then tested my luck by shifting my leg across two lilies. He crouched down on all fours, like some wild animal readying itself for the final pounce that would seize its dinner. I gulped; obviously, I wasn't making any progress.

_To hell with it_, I thought and twisted my body around toward the road that must have been no less than a yard away. I decided to run back to the beach and slip into the crowd behind the driftwood tree. Surely he wouldn't dive into a sea of spectators that would be bound to call the cops at the first sight of his grotesque appearance that just screamed "murdering psychopath."

The trouble was, as soon as I whipped towards the gray, dusty road, he was in front of me again.

Color me officially creeped out.

I turned without thinking and followed my instincts, running far into the dark of the forest.

I suppose there was a part of my mind that went, "Oh, that's smart, Kyla. Go to a place where nobody could possibly hear your screams and give the guy some time to sharpen his butcher knives." But when the main part of your brain is thriving on, "Get away from the freak," everything else sort of cancels out.

As I came to a small clearing filled with soft purple flowers, I was sure I had lost him, so I fell to my knees, tucking my head securely in-between and locking myself in a fetal position.

That was when I heard leaves crunch and bushes rustle. My head snapped up and I looked around. To my left, the man leaned his hand against a tree with crackling dead leaves. I panicked and turned the other way, only to see a golden-haired woman emerging from the bushes. I would have pegged her for some hot-shot celebrity had it not been for the dark brown specks that covered every inch of her body, head to toe. I also would have thought them all to be dirt if she didn't begin to loom closer, close enough for me to make out the lush, red color of her eyes.

Her soft lips parted, and for a split second, I thought she would whisper a word of comfort, but there were only five words her melodious voice could sing.

"_End of the line, sweetheart_."

The two leapt simultaneously and I gasped for air as I flew into a thicket of sharp, dead branches. I coughed and licked my lips as I lay lifelessly on the earthy floor. I could taste the salty blood as it pulsed out of a cut on my lip. My arm felt just as cold and wet, not to mention it stung like hell, so I thought it had been pierced through by one of the merciless branches. It took so much energy, but I forced my head to turn to my left and register the damage.

That sick freak of nature was _sucking_ on my arm.

I may have been smashed, scratched, and just plan out injured, but nobody was putting their filthy tongue on me without a fight.

"Get off me, you disgusting jackass," I managed to say with a raspy voice that sounded more like Quil's than my own. Moving my mouth hurt in more ways than anyone possibly describe, but it was impossible to care when you've got the feel of someone else's dripping, cold saliva on your skin.

I punched his face with my free arm, but the woman jumped out of the darkness and pinned it down after one hit. I looked at the leech on my left, hopeful to see if my punch had caused a black eye or even a wince at the very least, but there was. His lips hadn't seemed to budge from my skin and his eyes laughed icily with ridicule and mockery. I glanced to my right, glaring at the woman in blame, but Blondie simply licked her lips in anticipation.

_This isn't happening…_

I felt tears welling up and immediately blinked them away in frustration.

_Damn it…I don't want…to die like this…_

It stopped.

I fought my eyes open in time to see the pair scurry away like rats caught munching in the kitchen, then closed my eyelids in defeat.

There was a howl.

Cry.

_Silence_.

Then, finally, more rustling of leaves.

I felt another's skin handling my arm, and I defensively jabbed at the air, feeling a clear contact of fist to face.

"Ow! Jeez, what the…" A familiar voice, but I couldn't quite make out to whom it belonged.

A deeper voice chuckled in front of me. "She still kicking?"

"Boxing's more like it," the first voice muttered grudgingly. Then there was a sharp intake of breath. "Oh my god."

"What?" the deeper voice inquired.

Whoever was holding my arm began to tremble. There were a few footsteps drawing closer, but before I could so much as raise a fist, a surge of pain shot through my bicep and I cried out.

"Jesus…" The deeper voice.

The first one panicked. "What do we do?"

A pause. I took it to yell out again as the ache ruthlessly throbbed on.

"No! I won't do that!" exclaimed the first.

"Then get Paul and Jared. We don't really have a choice here. Do you really want to see her turn into _that_?" the deep tone demanded.

"Wait." Someone new. Quiet and warm. My writhing agony slowed involuntarily, but gratefully. "I know…a way."

The first voice squeaked. "You can't seriously want t―"

"No, I might know how to save her."

There was another pause as the flames intensified. Footsteps followed. Through the numbing pain, I felt something touch my arm. My body relaxed again.

Until he started sucking.

I didn't know which emotion to react to first, the fear or the pain, but the cries escaped naturally and were incredibly deafening. My body struggled against him in order to break free. Through the chaos came momentary interludes of slight recovery, followed by the sound of something wet splattering across the ground. Yet, right when I believed the worst was over, fire coursed through my veins again and I thrash about in the soil helplessly.

"Hold her," commanded a now loud, but still warm, sound.

I felt hands chaining down my right arm and both of my legs. Still, I fought. For what seemed like centuries of unendurable, never-ending calamity, I fought. Tears flooded my vision and I whimpered pathetically. Would it never end?

Suddenly, as if in answer to my pleas and thoughts, it was over.

My limbs rested calmly and my breathing returned to a slower, more normal rate. The tears were all that remained, and they continued. The only difference was that they flowed out of relief and the fear I couldn't seem to shake away.

Strong arms picked my limp body off of the dirt and buried my face into its owner's bare chest. I didn't have the energy to protest.

Slowly, I pried open my eyelids. Stars were spilt across the vast darkness. The moon hung directly above, round and shining the color of bone.

I turned my head to face whoever was holding me, and after matching a name to that face, I felt an impulsive need to apologize.

"I'm sorry," I croaked.

He spat dark saliva at the ground, and I felt anger rising when I noticed for the first time that the edges of his lips were stained a deep red. He bent his face down and looked at me with a sad glint to his tender eyes.

"Yeah…me too," he whispered weakly, and the sincerity of his words echoed unfathomable depths of truth.

He held me tighter, closer, and I rested my cheek against his comforting skin, letting myself drift off to the cosmic silence of the night.

* * *

_ Writing this drove me crazy. I kept repeating words, a huge pet peeve of mine, so I had to delve into my withered and torn paperback thesaurus, and even then it was hard to find synonyms for words like "voice." Then there was the lack of dialogue and the need for descriptions that never seemed to end. I also ot twitchy when I saw the typo in chapter two ("rush of rust of salt") so I tried out the "replace" feature with an edited version. Hopefully, no one's reviews were lost. _

_No pain, no gain, huh? _

_I do hope you enjoyed this chapter though. I'm on vacation out-of-state right now, but I'm still hoping to get this done by August seventh (ha). As always, thank you for reading! Next chapter is "Meadow Saffron."_


	4. MEADOW SAFFRON

_Top o' the evening to you all. I'm still on vacation in another state, but insomnia has taken over, as well as Vesperarium, Cullen City, the Lexicon, Dane Cook (yes, Dane Cook), and more books (none of which are the required novels I should be reading before school starts; because God forbid I should finish my homework early). I have a huge headache, so I'll keep this chapter's notes short and sweet.  
_

_Flower language: Meadow Saffron means "My best days are past."_

_WARNING: Kyla does get a bit more...colorful with words in this chapter. I suggest getting ready for a little profanity here and there.  
_

* * *

**Chapter Four --- _MEADOW SAFFRON_**

The tantalizing aroma of food wafted into my dreams and eyes slowly worked their way open. In one glance I could tell this was not my bedroom, let alone my _house_, but all the same, it felt safe and protected. I sat up and stretched my arms into the quiet shadows, gently waving through the moon's soft blue glow. The sound of a swift click made my eyes shift through the pitch black surrounding me, followed by an abrupt white light that stung my vision.

"Morning, Ms. Sleeping Beauty," Embry grinned, then glanced at the window behind me. "Or I guess I should say, 'Evening.'"

I rubbed my forehead and blinked away the tears from my already swollen eyes. "What time is it?"

"A few minutes past midnight."

My senses went on high alert as I felt the air get knocked out of me again, only this time it was less literal. "I've got to get back home," I choked out, pulling back the covers. As soon as I jumped up and stiffened by body, a rush of light-headedness pulled me back down. Just before I hit the hard, wooden floor, the corner of my eye caught sight of a tall figure bounding through the door.

"Easy there." Jacob's large arms lifted me up and his words of solace rang at the back of my head. "If you didn't notice the bandages covering a good length of your body, you should know you've lost a lot of blood."

"Let me…" I gasped, clutching a nearby dresser for support. "…Let me call Quil."

Embry started. "But you need to―"

"Get me a phone, now!"

For a few brief moments, only the sound of my jagged breathing filled the room. My eyes moved quietly to the side and saw Jacob nod, his focus on a stunned Embry. Embry staggered out of the room, nearly tripping on a door frame. I couldn't blame him; the volume and tone of my usually soft-spoken voice had surprised even me. I made a note to apologize profusely once I got my sanity back.

Jacob and I said nothing as we waited and kept our own eyes averted from the other. Or, at least, I did. My body, draped in a lavender nightgown, had frozen into a statue on the floor, while he took a seat on the bed behind me. I could feel his stare boring into my back. For a moment, it felt like neither of us was breathing, simply watching like animals for the other to make the first move.

I wasn't about to go down anytime soon, but before I could discover if Jacob was any better, Embry walked swiftly through the open door. He thrust a cell phone at me without a word, but one peer into his eyes revealed he was shaking, as if resisting smacking me for earlier. Which I might have let him do, if the issue of Quil finding himself with a late _and_ bruised sister weren't a possibility.

I dialed and held the phone up, my arm shaking almost as badly as Embry's had. If there's one thing you learn from living with a guy for fifteen years, it's that there will be some very unpleasant conversations.

"Hello?" His voice sounded much too awake for someone who was usually found snoring at these hours.

"…Quil?"

"Kyla?" He groaned; whether with relief or anger, I couldn't tell. But I had a feeling I was about to find out. "God, do you know what time it is? I told you to be home in time for dinner!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but―"

"I was _this_ close to calling the cops to send out a search party, Kyla! If Emily hadn't called me, _both_ of us would be in some deep crap with Mom and Dad. You know that!"

"Look, it wasn't my fault!" I yelled into the receiver so he couldn't interrupt. "Way to treat your traumatized sister who could've died today!"

There was silence on the other end. Again, I didn't know if he was about to burst out laughing with incredulity or soften and comfort me with support.

"Quil?"

"What happened?" he asked. His voice was stern and reminded me of Dad's when he had interrogated us about the bonfire fiasco.

I sighed. "It's a long story. Just…Just let me sleep here at…Emily's," I glanced at Embry for conformation and he nodded once, "tonight. I promise I'll be back by breakfast. Before you even wake up."

"If I only had a nickel for every time you threw me that line…"

I bit my lip and listened patiently for his answer.

"Fine," he caved in. "But I'll be up to see if you make good on that promise."

I felt a smile extend across my face and winced at the not-so-recovered split in my lip. "See you in the morning then."

"You better," he warned. "'Night."

I heard the dial tone set in and handed the phone back to Embry.

"Thanks," I tried to say with a friendly, throbbing smile.

He glanced down and sent me a brief smirk of his own before walking out, leaving Jakey-boy and me all alone again. But while I was still against looking him in the eye, was no longer in the mood for silence contests.

"I'm going to ask this once and you better not even so much as try to bullshit me. What the hell happened this afternoon?"

I could hear him budge uncomfortably on the bed; ironic, given where I was.

"While we're young, please."

"Sam should be the one to explain it. My ears twitched at the sound of his body leave the bed and his feet approach my knees. He offered his hand, but I stubbornly ignored it and lifted myself up, slowly this time as to not take any unprecedented spills.

Jacob led me to the kitchen, where four exhausted faces sat at the table and one lively yet scarred face lit up.

"Good to see you again, Kyla."

It didn't take much digging to remember who she was. The soon-to-be Mrs. Samuel Uley, also known as Emily. I'd seen her around town a few times, but even those who had never met Emily would recognize her the instant she stepped into the room. Her beauty was as clear as drops of morning dew hanging carelessly onto the leaves of me backyard apple tree. Yet, the dark scars embedded into her face were just as noticeable, and I caught myself before I could turn my head away rudely.

"Hello, Emily," I said shyly, focusing into the light brown of her eyes that sparkled in unison with the stars outside the window.

She smiled back, assertive and motherly. "Please, take a seat." She flicked the back of the head closest to her. The owner mumbled some unintelligent words and stood up to the side of the kitchen sink.

"Thanks," I muttered through the boy's death glare as I took his place.

Emily pushed a tray of cookies in front of me, and I nibbled away on chocolate-chip. There was an intense silence of utter dread crawling all over the room. The eldest-looking ― Sam Uley, the Jedi mind master himself, I pegged ― finally gave way.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, Kyla, and I'll be happy to answer them." I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up a finger. "Now I'll try to explain it all as quickly and simply as I can, but trust me when I say there is nothing simple about the lives we lead."

"We?"

"The boys and I. We're ―"

"― the scum of the earth?" I spat out, forgetting my place as the guest who could ever-so-easily get booted out into the freezing, dark abyss of midnight. "You owe those two psychos from the forest money or something? Or are they your friends? Because truth be told, I can't say I'd be surprised."

The boy who had given up his seat for me scoffed loudly. "As if we'd be anything to those disgusting sons of ―"

"Paul." Sam shot him a look of authority that shut the poor guy up faster than you can say "female dogs."

The Jedi scum turned back to me. "No, we don't know exactly who those two people were, but we do know they're the ones behind the murders in the city.

"No shit, Sherlock. Tell me, what gave them away: their worn-out clothes or the blood smeared like paint all over their bodies?"

He rubbed his head. Obviously, I wasn't complying as easily as he thought I would.

"So what?" I could feel the blood pumping through my veins. "Are you playing police now?"

The only boy I hadn't had direct contact with spoke up from his seat at the table. "Not police. Protectors."

Paul rolled his dark eyes. "Way to make it sound corny, Jared."

I laughed haughtily. "Protectors? What are you, the Justice League? Saving the planet, one alien invader at a time?"

"One vampire at a time."

I won't lie; my laughter didn't stop. In fact, it got louder.

"It's true, Kyla."

"Black, please. The Cold Ones?" I swung my seat towards Embry who had a guilty expression over his face that gave me enough reason to think he actually thought his friend was right. "Even I remember the way you, me, Quil, and even Jakey-boy here would laugh at the legends." I turned back to Jacob. "You can't stand there, look me in the eye, and tell me you're serious."

He leaned forward and down to my eye level, hands resting casually against his stained jeans and eyes drilling into mine. "I'm serious."

I swallowed back nervously and tried to look away, failing miserably. What were with this his eyes? I swear it was _worse_ than staring into the sun. I thanked the heavens, and had to viciously repress a grin, when he broke off with a yawn.

Emily and Embry chuckled for me. The quiet boy at the end of the table involuntarily mimicked Jacob. Paul stood his ground with a tight scowl, but I could see his eyes glaze over from yawning on this inside. Sam merely closed his eyes and smoothed his hair back, his fiancé behind him, softly massaging his shoulders.

"Sorry," Jacob apologized, turning a slight shade of pink in the moonlight. "My point is you have to face the facts, Kyla."

"What facts?"

"You were down but not out cold. Those leeches didn't taste your skin for nothing."

I searched frantically for an excuse that would keep me the sane one in the room. "Okay, let's say those two 'fed' on me. If I remember the legends correctly, that would make me a vampire now." I walked over to the fridge, dug around, and dangled a piece of raw, bloody meat. "Sorry, but not very appetizing."

"Jacob saved you, Kyla," Embry blurted out. "He sucked out the crap that makes a person turn."

Paul sneered. "Yeah. You're lucky I wasn't there. I wouldn't have hesitated two seconds to take you out before the process was finished."

My mind had a flashback. "_Then get Paul and Jared. We don't really have a choice here. Do you really want to see her turn into _that_?"_

I stood up and glowered at Sam, eyes flashing with accusing recognition. "You were going to have Embry kill me!"

Paul clapped mockingly. "Ah, she remembers."

"Paul, give it a rest," Jacob snarled.

"Well it took the twit long enough to believe us," he snarled right back.

"Don't be such a rude jackass. Apologize to her."

"Make me, pretty boy. What? You can't be with that bloodsucker lover, so now you're making moves on Quil's little sister? Real smooth, Fabio."

"Jacob!" Sam shouted, but it was too late. Jacob tackled Paul until they were rolling out the door, and everyone ran outside as if to help separate the two. From the looks of the brawl, though, that seemed highly unlikely. It kept switching between Paul being on top of Jacob with his hands around his neck, and Jacob being on top of Paul with his fists pulled back into every punch. This little fight didn't shock me, worry me, or even amuse me. I had seen it, and lived through it, far too often with Quil.

No, it wasn't until I heard a sharp crack in the air that the duo finally got my attention. I watched in disbelief as the two boys wrestling each other on the ground shook into two, gigantic wolves. The silver one bared its fangs at its auburn opponent and attempted to snap at his face. The auburn wolf gracefully dodged the attack, and circled his assailant, head-butting him farther into the dark green stillness of the woods I looked back to the miniature crowd of onlookers nestled back at the door. Sam looked at Emily with an apologetic smile, to which she responded with a fierce kiss. I turned away uncomfortably, just in time to see Sam shed his shirt and chase the wolves into the distance.

"Kyla, why don't you come back in? It feels like sub-zero out here," Emily called out with a wave. "You can change back into your clothes after they finish drying and Embry can escort you back home."

"Thank you." I felt ashamed at my manners from earlier and was about to say so when she put a hand on my shoulder.

"It'll be alright," she reassured me and rotated around to Jared. "Go get some clothes and bring it out to them."

"I don't see anything wrong with leaving them out in the cold for a while…" he muttered tiredly.

Emily's right eyebrow lifted and a mischievous smile played across the right half of her lip. "You know what? I don't either."

Jared gave Embry a high five and turned towards the living room.

"But Sam doesn't have a lesson to learn here, so you still have to bring his clothes out," she said, dumping a pile of fabric on his head.

Jared grudgingly slipped his shoes on, clothes under his arm, and ran outside.

"Go back to sleep, Kyla. It's been a long night." Emily gently pushed me toward the stairs. "I'll wake you up early, don't worry."

I smiled at her as I tip-toed up the steps, stopping at the top before walking back into the room where I had awoken. Embry and Emily's voices were far but clear in the tranquil hush of the night.

"Quite the night it's been, hasn't it, Embry?"

"I feel bad she had to find out like that though…No humans were supposed to get involved." His voice was full of honest remorse. He'd be getting a mouthful of the 'You Think I Liked Being Kept in the Dark?' speech tomorrow morning.

"Honey, you're preaching to the choir. Who do you think was the first non-supernatural being to get involved?" Her voice was playful yet morose and reminiscent.

"Sorry."

They stopped talking for so long that I got up, ready to give into my aching body's pleads for rest.

"Was it just me, or was Kyla finding out very 'Déjà vu?'" Emily asked.

"No…It's not just you. I could hear the others thinking about her too."

"And Jacob?"

"Do you even have to ask? He's got it the worst of all. Paul was a real jerk to bring her up like that. I say if Jake got a bite out of him out there, he deserved it."

"You know he's just stressed. We're all tired of this war, Embry."

"Well, he better get used to it because this war isn't anywhere _close_ to over. It's just beginning, and we can't save every human like we did Kyla. Turning on the TV proves that. This is _big_, Emily. And if we're going to get through this, the pack has to stick together. Losing it could mean a loss for us all."

There were footsteps walking toward the stairs, so I crept into my room as fast as my legs could carry me.

A war? Somebody failed to mention that little tidbit to me. And who did they keep talking about? What did Paul mean when he told Jacob, "You can't be with that bloodsucker lover?" I flopped down on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"_It'll be alright,_" Emily's voice repeated in my mind.

I turned on my side and faced the wall, my eyes giving out to fatigue.

_Somehow, Emily, I don't think it will._

* * *

_Thank you for reading! I hope it was alright. I haven't read New Moon in a while, so I was afraid some of the pack may have been OOC here._

_ Anywho...I'm about to pass out here. My head is splitting and my stomach is heaving. Lovely visual, I know._

_So I'll give you the names of the actual next two chapters: Chapter Five is "Tuberose" (special appearances of Begonias) and Chapter Six will be a semi-short chapter titled "Green Locust Tree." Have fun interpreting if you like. Again, thank you for reading!  
_


	5. Hiatus Apology

Sadly, this is not an actual chapter update.

_WAIT_! Don't walk out just yet!

I have the next chapter, _Tuberose_, all written out, but since arriving home from my out-of-state vacation, reality has hit me full force. Every time I believe I have the chance to go on the computer, something always happens that makes me get out of the seat. I have five little siblings to care for on weekdays, I'm attempting to finish my online DriversEd, my summer AP literature assignment still needs to be finished, and my mother thinks I spend too much time on the computer, even when it 's to take care of responsibilities I have as some site's moderator or helper. Balancing an internet life and a real one is hard enough; adding my secret writer's life to it is exhausting. Nevertheless, it's a part of me, so don't think this is a message that I'll be giving up anytime soon.

Also, as many of you have probably noticed…ECLIPSE IS OUT! So I'm sure the majority of you have already read it, and know about the many werewolf secrets that we discovered. Which also means, I have a bit of cleaning up to do in the previous chapters of _Bouquet of Hearts_. Now that we have loads more info about the werewolves, I also have so many ideas about where this story could go, especially things about Jacob and Quil…Oh shoot. That reminds me.

**ECLIPSE SPOILERS AHEAD!**

Those of you who read know more about Sam, Embry, and Quil than we did before. I'm interested in writing about who could possibly be Embry's half-brother. If not in _Bouquet of Hearts_, definitely in a later fanfic. Also...one word: imprinting. You can bet against Alice if she thinks I won't be including_ that_ in the story.

All this pack history we picked up in _Eclipse_ is incredible, and enough to keep fanfic authors writing for months. I feel like I've completely gone against Quil's character, but I'm completely glad I didn't end up anywhere close to finishing this story because it gives me a second chance. Especially considering Quil actually likes being a werewolf, and that's information I'm more than glad to receive (imagine me writing about a depressed, unconfident Quil Ateara shivers).

**END ECLIPSE SPOILERS.**

Anyhow, thank you to everyone who's kept up with Kyla and her story so far. Progress for new chapters will come out slower than ever (think _The Lion and the Lamb_ by Alphie, or _Nightfall _by Black Angel…both great reads I recommend to any Twilight fan). Still, whether you all follow us through to the end is up to you. Writing Bouquet of Hearts has rekindled me passion for writing, and that's the main thing I'm happy about.

So, all that being said, here's a little gift for those who actually got through all that whining and incoherent planning: a look at the titles of the next six chapters!

Chapter Five --- TUBEROSE  
Chapter Six --- GREEN LOCUST TREE  
Chapter Seven --- VISCARIA  
Chapter Eight --- TITAN ARUM  
Chapter Nine --- LOVE LIES BLEEDING  
Chapter Ten --- PERSICARIA

**Note**: The titles of chapters seven through ten are subject to change.

Again, thank you to all who have reviewed or added Kyla's story your favorites list. Until next time :


End file.
